


Cactus

by BibiannaOddey1850



Series: Aurora Van der Linde Drabbles [4]
Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Arthur is on Big Brother Mode, Cute, Dutch doesn't know when to stop, Family Fluff, Gen, Hosea is gettin' real tired of his shit, I'll give y'all the cute, John is a cute boi, Writing Exercise, y'all tellin' me you love the cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 11:57:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17182550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BibiannaOddey1850/pseuds/BibiannaOddey1850
Summary: The things we do for the ones we love.





	Cactus

Arthur cursed the sun. He cursed the hot wind. And he cursed the hot sand under his boots. But most of all, he cursed the very terrain that was causing him so much pain.

"Tell me again," Hosea punctuated with each not-so-gentle removal of a needle, "how'd you ended up tumbling right into a bunch of cactus?"

* * *

Aurora was a very curious child. Anything that caught her attention, whether it be cow pies or a burning candle, she would touch it without thought. Dutch laughed at Arthur every time he had to put himself in between her and whatever commodity she found captivating. Once or twice, he had to slap her hands away from their supply of weapons, which only garnered fat tears and days worth of scowling.

One fine day, Arthur was riding back to their hideout after threatening the headmaster of a corrupt boarding school. Aurora was strapped to his back using a long piece of cloth and some old belts that he and Hosea managed to construct. Although she was three years old, she was considered meager for her age, which was actually normal for premature infants.

Her bonnet tickled the back of his neck when she laid her little head against his shoulder, and he felt her yawn into his shirt. Or she could be gnawing on him like usual.

"Athu, peepy," she burbled, firmly rubbing her face on his back to prove a point.

"Just a little while more, Rory," he muttered. "Big brother Arthur's gotta check the post office for any mail, and then we'll sleep." He reached over his shoulder to seize Aurora's tiny hand. She gave his fingers a light squeeze in response, and continued to entertain herself with the floral-themed strap of his suspenders.

Now, Arthur was not the type to fuss over his appearance much. But Dutch and Hosea convinced him to dress stylishly like them, as a way to divert the lawmen on their backs. After all, they wouldn't want to be mistaken for common thieves. So when Aurora's curiosity peaked just two weeks ago, Arthur realized she had a thing for fanciful fabrics and whatnots. And he thought that by wearing clothes made from those materials, he believed it could attract Aurora's regard long enough for her to forget what she was going to do.

But she wasn't the only one gawking at his ensemble.

"Well, look at you, sir! All dressed up fancier than a bride on her wedding day!" A lady in magenta hollered at him once he stepped inside the train station.

Arthur blushed like a bride too.

"Athu! Athu! Haah!" Aurora began to kick energetically, persuading him to get a move on. One of these days, Dutch was going to buy her a pony if she kept that up, and he wasn't going to like it.

He stood in line with the rest of the people, arms crossed, with a scowl to keep others away. For some reason, Aurora wouldn't stop struggling in her harness. He absently reached for the tin can full of milk biscuits in his satchel, and he gave her one to pacify whatever distress she was feeling right now.

And then she started screaming.

"Teef! Teef! Teef!"

Arthur turned around in time to see a man stepping out of the station, pocketing Aurora's silver bracelet in his jacket. Without provocation, he ran. The thief, upon seeing him charging up like a mad bull, quickly chanced upon a horse and fled.

"Hold on tight, Rory, this'll be one hell of a ride for ya!" Arthur exclaimed before jumping on his horse from behind. The stallion reared back in surprise and neighed. Aurora simply laughed in enjoyment.

They galloped through the town and followed the thief's fresh trail through the wasteland, past rocky hills and the occasional cactus. Arthur kept urging his horse to run faster until he could see their target in view. The young man took out his revolver and aimed.

The first shot managed to nick their thief by the arm.

"Come on, mister!" shouted the man. "You could just buy your daughter a new one!"

"That piece of silver has sentimental value, you idiot!" Arthur roared and fired another shot. "Either you stop this instant, or I'm gonna have to make you stop!"

The third shot ultimately grazed him by the ear, causing him to yell out in pain and fall off. Arthur suddenly pulled the reins, forcing his horse into a grinding halt, and directed them to where the filcher laid on the ground, clutching at his wound.

"Finally lent your ear to me, eh?" Arthur said in ominous humor. He got down on his knee, wary of the young one still attached to his back, and raised a fist in the air.

"Wait!" The man shouted. "Are ya really gonna beat me up in front of a kid?!"

"Hmm, I guess so," he glanced over his shoulder to look at Rory. "What do you think, sweetie?"

"Wham! Wham! Wham!" Aurora cheered on. Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Well, you heard the Little Miss!" But before he could bring down hell on the man, he was shoved off with a strong kick to his gut.

Arthur stumbled backwards. He saw the cacti in his peripheral. In one hurried movement, he twisted his body at the last second, ignoring the flare of pain in his ankle, and landed on the cluster of cactus. He let out a pained groan at the feeling of being pricked by a hundred needles, all at the same time. Aurora started to cry again, and he hoped she wasn't hurt too.

The man responsible began to take off. But a bullet to the back of his knee managed to stop him with finality. Arthur gradually removed himself from the bed of suffering he laid on, and limped towards their annoying crook. With the loss of his ear and left knee, he decided to give back the trinket without any more goading.

"We had to do it the hard way, huh?" Arthur winced a bit and plucked one needle near his left eye.

Aurora patted his shoulder as her way of comforting him.

* * *

"Well, that was rather heroic of you, Arthur." Hosea remarked, dabbing a clean rag over the tiny holes marking the young man's skin.

Sitting atop a crate was the latest addition to their gang: John Marston. The twelve-year-old was trying not to stare in awe at the wounds Arthur gained for saving Aurora.

"Like a knight in shining armor," he said.

"Kid, you're reading too much into those fairytales," retorted Arthur.

The little girl was on John's lap, messing with the red bowtie the boy wore around his neck. Her silver bracelet jingled when she suddenly sat up straight, as if she was struck by an idea. But no, it was merely her father entering their hideout.

"I swear, the girl's got a good head on her shoulders, Dutch," commented Hosea. "Sensed you coming even before you showed up."

"She's like a dog," John piped, and quietly added, "the good kind, I mean. Ain't ya, Rory?"

"Janni!" Aurora exclaimed, reaching up to poke his face with a chubby finger.

Dutch chuckled, staring down at Arthur in silent gratitude. The young man waved him off and gulped down another swig of whiskey. Once every needle was taken out from his body, he was carefully wrapped up in bandages, and was given strict orders to avoid cacti from now on.

"By the way, can I have my little girl back, please?" Dutch requested. John looked a bit crestfallen, but gave up Aurora to her father, nonetheless.

"I've got a surprise for you, princess." The older man was absolutely smitten. Arthur didn't like the way things were heading. He quickly buttoned his shirt, and followed them out of the farmhouse.

To his utter dismay, there was a small white miniature horse hitched beside the other regular-sized horses. Aurora squealed, clapping her hands in delight. Dutch had the biggest grin on his face as he guided his daughter over to her very own mount.

"Oh, that's unfair!" exclaimed John. "How come she gets to have a Shetland Pony and I'm forced to ride in a wagon with Miss Grimshaw?!"

"Quiet down, boy!" Arthur frowned at him. "We'll get you a pony when you earn it!"

Hosea then hummed. "Or John can share with Aurora for the meantime. She hardly has a good grip, much less keep herself seated for a long time."

"Think again, Hosea." Arthur pointed out. Dutch was guiding the pony by the bits, while Aurora held the reins with unbridled avidity.

With a curse leaving his lips, Hosea marched over to them and gave his friend a good scolding.

**Author's Note:**

> I asked my cousin if he could jump onto a pile of cactus for research purposes...
> 
> Let's just say I had fun laughing at our own stupidity. He's fine btw. He'll live.


End file.
